1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to horseshoe nails and, more particularly, to a horseshoe nail in which corner portions of the nail are radiused to define arcuate edges to facilitate passage of the nail through a hoof wall and to eliminate stress or pressure points typically associated with conventional nails formed with sharp corners along the length of the nail shank.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
A conventional horseshoe nail is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings and consists of a head 10 and shank 12 terminating in a point 14. Since the head 10 is always within the recess of the horseshoe, its particular configuration does not play a part in this invention and may, for example, be of the xe2x80x9ccityxe2x80x9d type as illustrated, or it may be of the European (E) type, as are conventional and well known to farriers. In the conventional nail, the shank 12 is rectangular or substantially rectangular throughout its length. This shank 12 terminates in a tapered lower portion 16, distal from the head 10, which is tapered at the sides, and ending in a tip 18, which is tapered also on the front face side. The back or rear face is conventionally flat along the length of the shank 12.
The sectional view FIG. 2, which is taken on the line 2xe2x80x942 of FIG. 1, illustrates a cross section of a midportion of the shank 12 between the point 14 of the shank and the head 10. It will be seen that four discrete, sharp corners are formed at 20, 22, 24 and 26. The pressure on the hoof is inherently concentrated at these corners, and since the shank forms a correspondingly shaped recess in the hoof, the stress in the hoof is similarly concentrated at the location of the recess corresponding to these corners. These stress concentration points or regions often cause unwanted and damaging splitting in the hoof material. This is a particularly troublesome problem in the shoeing of racing horses which require frequent reshoeing, as well as with horses having relatively thin and easily damaged hoof walls.
In addition, the rectangular shape of prior art nails introduces a resistance to bending of the shank of the nail, whereas proper passage of the nail through the hoof requires a certain degree of bending as it passes through the hoof to an outer perimeter exit location on the hoof.
The stress concentrations caused by the conventional nails are substantially reduced or eliminated by the improved nail of the present invention in which the sharp corners or edges at both the front and rear faces of the nail are radiused to provide an arcuate transition between the front and rear faces and the side walls of the nail along the length of the shank in contact with the hoof wall. The radiused edges at the front and rear faces of the nail provide for a distribution of the wedging and splitting forces across a wider area as the nail is driven through the hoof and, thereafter, in use. Accordingly, the present nail results in reduced damage due to hoof splitting and fractures.
The horseshoe nail, according to the present invention, includes a wider front and rear face than the side walls joining the two faces whereby the nail is preferentially capable of bending in a plane parallel to the side walls. Further, the radiused corners at the front and rear faces result in reduced resistance to bending as the nail is driven through the hoof, such that the present construction facilitates the passage of the nail along the preferred path curving outwardly to exit the site of the hoof wall.
Additionally, the horseshoe nail of the present invention has the further advantage that it can be driven with less friction than the conventional nail and, when the improved horseshoe nail of this invention is removed, the opening which is formed is one which can close up more completely, thereby protecting the hoof from injury or infection due to dirt entering the old nail opening.
The invention may be characterized as a horseshoe nail comprising a head, a shank including front and back faces, terminating in a point, and including side walls connecting the front and back faces wherein the side walls are narrower than the front and back faces. The invention is further characterized in that at least a portion of each of the corners between the front and back faces and adjacent side walls is rounded to define front and rear arcuate transitions between the front and rear faces and the side walls.
The nail of the present invention is additionally characterized by having an upper shank portion adjacent the head and comprising sharp edges or corners, such that the upper shank portion is a full width, rectangular cross section portion. The upper shank portion is adapted to correspond to the portion of the nail extending from the bottom of the hoof and engaged with the side wall of an aperture through the horseshoe whereby the upper portion of the shank provides a full strength section for the horseshoe nail to prevent shearing or other stress induced damage to the horseshoe nail when in use.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a horseshoe nail configured to reduce stress to a hoof wall as it passes through the hoof.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a horseshoe nail including a shank having at least a portion thereof formed with rounded corners at front and rear faces thereof to provide reduced stress to a hoof wall.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a horseshoe nail having at least a portion of the shank configured with rounded corners and provided with a full width cross-section in the area which cooperates directly with the horseshoe.